Brace Comb, What to do, and how often?

[llgoddj]

Hi all,

I am relatively new here, with my first TBH this past May 20th from a local apiary. I started with a top bar nuc with roughly 5 bars, not fully drawn and all brood comb with bees. The hive is now roughly 12 bars of fully drawn comb, mixed brood and honey. My question is regarding what to do with all the brace comb the bees are constantly making. I have a window in my TBH and can see that as soon as I have cut the brace comb from the sides on the majority of my comb, they begin to reattach almost immediately and within two-three days it is almost fully braced down to the bottom of the comb. How often do I need to go in and use my bread knife to cut the brace comb off seeing as they reattach so quickly? Can I leave it there as there is no need to add any empty brood bars right now, I have done this twice already with great success with them adding brood comb.

I hope you understand my predicament and my question. Thanks so much, Larry.

[Keefis]

The bees are bracing it for a reason. Either a weight issue or a lateral movement. Does the hive wobble?
So only cut it if you feel you need to move it. No need to make any extra work for them.
I keep at least one empty bar somewhere near center all the time.

[llgoddj]

The bees are bracing it for a reason. Either a weight issue or a lateral movement. Does the hive wobble?
So only cut it if you feel you need to move it. No need to make any extra work for them.
I keep at least one empty bar somewhere near center all the time.

Thanks, I will note this, and wait for some additional responses. Really don't think my hive is wobbling, but weight could certainly be an issue.

[Che Guebuddha]

How often do I need to go in and use my bread knife to cut the brace comb off seeing as they reattach so quickly?

I too am a newBee since May this year
One thing Im trying to learn at this very start of my Beekeeping Path and that is to Let The Bees Bee as Michael Bush sais it "Everything works if you let it be"

In my short experience I have observed that bees will do what they intended to do whether we like it or not. If they brace the comb be assured they did it for a reason like too much ventilation or heavy nectar flow which unbraced comb cant support etc ...
I would say the bees are always focused on containing the Hive Atmosphere and I let them do what they are good at What do I know about Bee Business right

Opening the hive too often only stresses the hive atmosphere which was carefuly created by the colony (proper humidity and temperature for condensation purpouse, right ammount of air current for cooling, right temp for the borrd nest ...)

I can see through my TBH window that some of the combs are cross-built. I did correct this twice and now I give up not because Im sick and tired of it no, but because I understand that there is a reason they do this again and again and Im OK with it now. I will not go into the hive until I see the hive being almost fully drawn, then I will go in and remove some of the honey and try to correct some comb.

You can read on closed hive atmosphere in Ed Clark's book Constructive Beekeeping - free pdf book

Bee Happy

[mrobinson]

"Bee" that as it may, there are still things that you can observe a hive doing that might be suggestive of something. I'd pop a large level on top of that hive, see if it's level in both directions, and if not, carefully shim it up. (Attaching a large carrying handle to each end of the hive is very handy.) Yes, you can do that with bees in it, and you really ought to do that periodically anyhow, because as a hive becomes full it also becomes heavy, and as it becomes heavy it might well shift. We set our hives on masonry blocks. Sure enough, one of the blocks started to lean. One person grabs the handle and holds it. The other person straightens the blocks, doubles it, and positions shim-boards to bring the box level again. One minute. Done.

Be: "quick to be attentive, slow to 'intervene.' " If a problem has materialized, it will give advance warning. Usually, something will be "noticeably different," and you can only detect that if you ... notice. Keep a journal. Take it with you. Jot down notes on-the-spot.

When you go into the hive, bring a long-bladed serrated (bread) knife with you, and anticipate that at any time you might have to cut-away any comb that you're about to lift away, from the sides, and/or from the bars next to it. A small bright flashlight, or a head lamp, is essential.